Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 1994)
Missouri River flowing at UNL By Angie Brunkow Senior Reporter A trip to the Missouri River is as quick as a walk to the Walter Scott Engineering Center at UNL. At least that’s the case for engi neering students studying the How of sediment through the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant’s river intake. The pumping intake station col lects water to cool nuclear generators at the plant. When sedimententers the plant, itdamages the pumps and caus es costly maintenance problems, said Rollin Hotchkiss, professor of civil engineering and project leader. The scale model rcpl icatcs the flow of the river and the pump station at a 1-30.5 scale. The shape of the river bed is similar, he said, and the sand in the riverbed is replicated with ground up walnut shells. “If you were to go to the Missouri River this afternoon and the water was clear,” he said, “this is what it would look like.” Using the model, which took about three months to build and calibrate, Hotchkiss and graduate student Mike Drain arc testing ways to keep sedi ment in the river and out of the pumps. The two researchers installed vanes, or short vertical walls, in front of the plant’s intake pumps. Drain said. “The vanes lower the riverbed in the vicinity of the pumping station.” he said. Vanes obstruct the flow of the water, causing it to flow (aster and carrv the sediment away from the station, he said. “It has to go faster to gel to the same place in the same time," Drain, who manages the project, said. So far, Hotchkiss said, progress in the project is “excellent.” The riverbed in front of the station was visibly lower, and tests of water entering the pumps show it to be carrying less sediment. Drain said. Further tests on the project will change only the angle or positioning of the vanes. Drain said. “The concept will remain the same,” he said. f Travis Heying/DN Jennifer Ziegler and Rollin Hotchkiss, an assistant Professor of civil engineering, watch over the river model uesday. Making the 70-fool-long model like the actual river was one of the most difficult parts of the project. Dram said. “A lot of the most challenging parts are not the engineering parts,” he said. The use of walnut shells solved problems in simulating the water bed but caused others. Drain said. “When you put them in water, they have a natural dye,” he said. “It turns the water black.” Drain said it also was touchy get ting the water velocity, dune heights and other factors to match up. They all influence one another, he said. But the problems of this project soon will be finished as the research ers submit the final report to Applied Power Associates, who arc contract ed to fix the sediment problem by the Omaha Public Power District, Hotchkiss said. “On July 1, we’ll build a different model,” he said. Ag college will offer minor for leadership Students of all majors eligible By Kara Korshoj Staff Reporter UNL students who have been searching fora minor in leadership soon will have one available. The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources has created a minor in leadership and communication. The minor will be available to all students, regard less of major. Lcvcrne Barrett, professor o( agricultural leadership, education and communication, said the mi nor was created out ol a need for students to learn leadership skills. “(This minor) teaches students how to lead people who are differ ent from one’s own sell and basic motivation,” Barrett said. Barrett said he thought leader ship was an essential skill in agri culture and any other major. “Students really need to learn more about leading ... (students) will find themselves in supervisory positions without the skills to do it,” Barrett said. The minor originated in the ag riculture college because there was a long history of interest in leader ship in agriculture, Barrett said. Many students who graduated from the agriculture college have continued to write for agricultural publications and develop adver tisements foragricultural advertis ing companies, Barrett said. Students in these areas needed leadership courses available to them, Barrett said. -44 Students really need to learn more about leading... (students) will find themselves in supervisory positions without the skills to do it — Barrett professor of agricultural leadership -1* - The minor in leadership and communication has 12-hour and 18-hour plans. Courses for the 18-hour plan include six hours from the follow ing courses: • Technical Communication 1 • Dynamics of Effective Lead ership in Organizations • Dynamics of Agricultural Journalism Other courses: • Ethics of Agriculture and Natural Resources • Interpersonal Skills • Leadership Development • Technical Communication II • Presentation Strategies • Seminar Leadership Three hours are required from the following courses for the 12 hour plan: • Dynamics of Agricultural Journalism • Ethicsof Agriculture and Nat ural Resources TY • On Our Entire Collection Of HERFFJONES College Ring Styles • Thursday April 21 & Friday April 22, ONLY • 10:00 am to 4:00 both days • Five week delivery for 1994 graduates • Available in Lincoln only at the University Bookstore • Representative from 1 lerff Jones will be present to assist you with your order • Free stone replace ment & resizing for the lifetime of the ring! HERFF DI/C#V£R JONES College Rings PC Software Experts 'Want a summer experience with a future?" ► C/C++ Programmers ► Window's/Dos Application Developers ► Novell Network Experience ► PC Software Support & Documentation ► PC Software Sales Pen-Link Ltd., a national leader in PC Software for telephone database applications, is looking for talented individuals who want to develop their skills in a growing, small business. If you believe you can be an asset to our future in any of the above listed areas, you need to call us now. Pen-Link Ltd. is presently filling summer hourly positions with career potential. We can provide: • Flexible Scheduled Hours • Competitive Hourly Rates • An Innovative Work Place Call NOW and ask for Gay Sutter! (402)421-8857 EOC PEN-LINK • Above referenced product* are respective trademark* of Borland International. Microsoft Corporation, Novell, and Pen-Link Ltd.